This invention relates to mortarless wall constructions and blocks therefor, particularly suitable to act as retaining walls to secure embankments and terraces.
To secure earth embankments against sliding and slumping, the retaining wall industry knows various interlocking and mortarless systems.
Interlock mechanisms which involve pins and sockets, require close supervision by the labourers and the omission of even one pin may compromise the structural integrity of a course of blocks and thereby the entire wall. Also, these pin and sockets mechanisms do not permit significant lateral movement of blocks for working around curves in the embankment.
For large embankments (such as those found near highways), the blocks must be large. Known blocks are solid (i.e. no through core), typically measure in the order of 5xe2x80x2xc3x972xc2xdxe2x80x2xc3x972xc2xdxe2x80x2 and weigh in the order of 5000 lbs. They are interlocked by large right-angled lugs and corresponding sockets, which severely restricts the ability to create non-90xc2x0 concave or convex curve wall portions in response to the embankment profile.
For the purposes of this invention, the following definitions will be employed. xe2x80x9cBatterxe2x80x9d is the apparent inclination, from vertical, of the wall face. A xe2x80x9chalf-bondxe2x80x9d is the relationship or pattern created by stacking units so that the vertical joints are offset one half unit from the course below. For orientation, xe2x80x9cconvexxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cconcavexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d are determined from the point of view of a viewer facing the front face of the block or wall portion. xe2x80x9cLateralxe2x80x9d means along the longitudinal axis of the block or course of blocks, parallel to the front face. xe2x80x9cFillerxe2x80x9d is free draining granular material like crushed, angular rock pieces of perhaps xc2xdxe2x80x3 or xc2xexe2x80x3 size.
There is provided a block comprising a front wall; a rear wall; first side wall; second side wall opposed to said first side wall; an upper block planar surface; a lower block planar surface; wherein said first side wall and said second side wall extend from said front wall to said rear wall to define a central through core extending through the block from said upper block surface to said lower block surface, said core having a front upper rim and a first front corner at the plane of said upper block surface, proximate intersection of said first side wall and said front wall; a first lug which extends downwardly from said lower block surface adjacent said first side wall, and has (i) a flat side portion flush with said first side wall and (ii) a front portion which joins said first lug side surface at an angle of 90xc2x0 or less.